Winter blast paralyzes parts of Alabama

Birmingham, AL – A mix of ice and snow has shut down thenorthern half of Alabama. Roads are virtually deserted from the Birmingham metro area allthe way north to the Tennessee Valley. The main problem in centralAlabama is ice, but the northern counties have as much as 9 inchesof snow. Schools and businesses are closed throughout the region, androads are icy as far south as Montgomery. Dozens of people are atBirmingham's airport hoping to catch flights to Arizona for the BCStitle game between Auburn and Oregon. Temperatures aren't predicted to rise much above freezing in theregion, so travel problems could last through Tuesday.